Diving in Makassar? any one?

[Wingy]

Looking forward to feedback as I have heard the Spermondes are pretty well dynamited (recent feedback in the last month)

 

[PygmySeahorse]

OK, first upthere are whale sharks off Kapoposang – dived with four out of aschool of eleven – and they're supposedly out there for a few moredays yet: if you're in the area, get in, as the fishing fleets follow the little fish so there's local guiding there. Lots of whale sharks even close to Makassar in September,apparently, and sometimes also October and November. Yuda at MakassarDiving Centre is the man – PM me for his mobile or just swing by(it's next door to Kampoeng Popsa).

In brief:

Barranglompo– piggybacked on a marine biology research dive. Viz ****, barely even any fish, bombed to pieces and the rest's been harvested, don't bother.

Samalona – also amarine biology research dive. Promising macro – heavily dynamited,but decent amount of weird stuff even as we swung by.

Kapoposang – the beach huts are run byMakassar Diving Centre, and there's a compressor so you don't need tobring too many tanks. Nice location: white sand beach, sunrise views, shade from the trees. There are 12 dive sites here.

Didn't do Shark Point – 35 metres andheavy current felt a bit much for me, though if I'd stayed longer Iwould have done it. (Yuda is solid on safety – refusedto dive Tepokong on Bali, eg - so I felt very comfortable dropping down to the seamount to see the whale sharks, even though it was a new location and open water.)

Caves is a LOVELY wall dive –four sharks, including two BIG whitetips, loads of turtles, trevally,tuna, barracuda, some lovely coral below about 16m (some dynamitedamage higher up).

Turtle point – loads of turtles, several sharks. Not asmany as the house reef at Nunukan, but second only to that for turtlequantity IME. Lots of biggish stuff. Same wall, which is very pretty, as cuteas Menjangan in places, but a different location.

Aquarium – decent coral garden stuff(I wanted to practice my camera). There are eight more dive siteshere and I barely scratched the surface.

Lanyukan - didn't dive here as Yuda says it's been bombed out.

Kodingareng Keke –slightly cheesy underwater reef garden, with a bus that's fun to swiminside, some Greek statues, a jetski. Viz wasn't good today but isapparently often better. Nice if you like that sort of thing.

Whalesharks – nuff said.

There are also wrecks in the area. 50-metre longJapanese ship off K. Keke, 40-metre long Japanese ship off Samalona,and a Japanese fighter plane on sand near Bonebaku.

Disclosure – I dived at cost as I'm doing an island story for a mag. Don't know Bira or Selayar, so no comparison there, but Kapoposang definitely worth the weekend if you're in the area.

 

[dkr82]

Any further update on Makassar diving scene?? Heading there later in the week and have the weekend free. Given there doesn't seem to be much else to do in town, I figured a few dives might be an option. Can't seem to find any website for this Makassar Diving Centre.

Happy to head somewhere 2-3hrs away on Friday afternoon and return to makassar Sunday night.

 

[Wingy]

Indonesia, South Sulawesi - Bira Dive Camp - these guys seem to have a fun and happy environment from their FB page and some decent pics.

The premise I tend to work on is...if there s great diving somewhere...why haven't I heard about it lol. Someone I know and who's opinion I put stock in has said the Spermonde Archipeligo has been heavily dynamited in most areas so I guess if there's GREAT diving within reach of Makassar people would be flocking there not using at as a transit point.

How about trying to get to Gorontalo? There's some pretty amazing corals up there so I hear but logistically I've never been able to get there.

Keep us updated

 

[dkr82]

Yeah, I'm not filled with hope that I can dive this weekend, given the lack of info on dive centres.. Honestly, it doesn't even have to be great diving. Gorontalo is definitely out of the question. Am in Makassar for work, so Friday afternoon to sunday night is available. Anywhere I have to fly to is out of the question, just due to no fly time. I guess 4-5hrs in a car to Bira is possible (if I left at 5pm on Friday, dive Sat and Sun (4 dives Sat, 3 dives Sun, then left for Makassar around 5pm, back in Makassar 10pm Sunday night). Would the 8-10hrs round trip be worth it for 6-7 dives?

 

[Wingy]

Zippsy has posted recent accounts of Bira - perhaps message him...ahh thats always the question isnt it..would it be worth the trip for 6 - 7 dives...maybe zippsy can answer. Have a good time where ever you end up.

 

[billt4sf]

OK, first upthere are whale sharks off Kapoposang – dived with four out of aschool of eleven – and they're supposedly out there for a few moredays yet: if you're in the area, get in, as the fishing fleets follow the little fish so there's local guiding there. Lots of whale sharks even close to Makassar in September,apparently, and sometimes also October and November. Yuda at MakassarDiving Centre is the man – PM me for his mobile or just swing by(it's next door to Kampoeng Popsa).

In brief:

Barranglompo– piggybacked on a marine biology research dive. Viz ****, barely even any fish, bombed to pieces and the rest's been harvested, don't bother.

Samalona – also amarine biology research dive. Promising macro – heavily dynamited,but decent amount of weird stuff even as we swung by.

Kapoposang – the beach huts are run byMakassar Diving Centre, and there's a compressor so you don't need tobring too many tanks. Nice location: white sand beach, sunrise views, shade from the trees. There are 12 dive sites here.

Didn't do Shark Point – 35 metres andheavy current felt a bit much for me, though if I'd stayed longer Iwould have done it. (Yuda is solid on safety – refusedto dive Tepokong on Bali, eg - so I felt very comfortable dropping down to the seamount to see the whale sharks, even though it was a new location and open water.)

Caves is a LOVELY wall dive –four sharks, including two BIG whitetips, loads of turtles, trevally,tuna, barracuda, some lovely coral below about 16m (some dynamitedamage higher up).

Turtle point – loads of turtles, several sharks. Not asmany as the house reef at Nunukan, but second only to that for turtlequantity IME. Lots of biggish stuff. Same wall, which is very pretty, as cuteas Menjangan in places, but a different location.

Aquarium – decent coral garden stuff(I wanted to practice my camera). There are eight more dive siteshere and I barely scratched the surface.

Lanyukan - didn't dive here as Yuda says it's been bombed out.

Kodingareng Keke –slightly cheesy underwater reef garden, with a bus that's fun to swiminside, some Greek statues, a jetski. Viz wasn't good today but isapparently often better. Nice if you like that sort of thing.

Whalesharks – nuff said.

There are also wrecks in the area. 50-metre longJapanese ship off K. Keke, 40-metre long Japanese ship off Samalona,and a Japanese fighter plane on sand near Bonebaku.

Disclosure – I dived at cost as I'm doing an island story for a mag. Don't know Bira or Selayar, so no comparison there, but Kapoposang definitely worth the weekend if you're in the area.

Boy Oh Boy, this is a really cool thread. It's fascinating to read from divers in these unusual regions. Had I been here 20 years ago, I might have tried to get to some of these places - but I'm afraid age has caught up with me. In any case I love hearing about it, I can at least live the dream a bit vicariously.

It's also fascinating -- and sobering -- to hear how many paces have been dynamited. Good GOD! What are we doing to this planet?!?!?!?

- Bill

 

[matts1w]

I am kinda of in the Wingy camp: if it is worth it why has no one ever really gone. I have lived in Jakarta for eight years and I do not know one person who has actually been to Bira. Everyone, including myself, always say the same thing... "Oh yeah. I heard it maybe was worth checking out..." But no one ever does.

That being said, if I was in Makassar for an extended period of time I would for sure give it a shot. For now, the idea of flying for 1.5 hours from Jakarta and jumping in a car with a stranger for five hours of car travel in Indonesia just sounds awful to me.

 

[billt4sf]

I am kinda of in the Wingy camp: if it is worth it why has no one ever really gone. I have lived in Jakarta for eight years and I do not know one person who has actually been to Bira. Everyone, including myself, always say the same thing... "Oh yeah. I heard it maybe was worth checking out..." But no one ever does.

That being said, if I was in Makassar for an extended period of time I would for sure give it a shot. For now, the idea of flying for 1.5 hours from Jakarta and jumping in a car with a stranger for five hours of car travel in Indonesia just sounds awful to me.

Naw! It's fun! (?)

- Bill

 

[latifah]

Try to contact Alessandro Reich in Makassar, an indo german guy, speak English very well. He has (and also living in) a wooden boat in front of Makassar port equipped with dive compressor, tanks, etc. He often goes the Kapoposang and any other islands near Makassar, guiding divers. To see his boat, please go to . To get complete information to contact him, please go to Sewa Kapal Makassar